|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Brush with China, 12 Jul 2002
How does calligraphy--an art form widely considered to embody the essence of Chineseness evolve at a time when China itself is also undergoing dramatic change? The transformation of China in the past hundred years is, in a sense, encapsulated in the transformation of this very art form. Unlike other catalogues of contemporary Chinese calligraphy, the book is organized around major calligraphers in Modern China. While telling us the life histories of the calligraphers, Barrass also tells us how calligraphy is woven through their individual lives as well as the life of the entire nation. As a result, the reader is presented a richly textured picture of how calligraphy used to be, and still is, intertwined in the social life of the Chinese people. Calligraphy seems to have resided in the realm of paradox in modern Chinese history. For one thing, it was one of the very few elements of Chinese tradition that was inadvertently preserved behind a revolutionary façade. Numerous people were exempt from hell during the Cultural Revolution because of their skill at calligraphy. And some only began to see the beauty of the art when they were forced to brush their way through the revolutionary turbulence, writing big-character posters [dazibao] everyday. For another, calligraphy used to be one of the main means through which the Chinese were molded to be properly 'Chinese'. But now the blade is turned toward the blade-holder. To many contemporary Chinese artists, calligraphy has become one of the most powerful weapons to challenge and confront Chinese culture. While doing so, they are also asking one pressing question: where does China and the Chinese culture stand in the face of an unstoppable torrent of foreign influences that has been flushing pass the bamboo curtain since the end of the nineteenth century? If you find other books on Chinese calligraphy daunting or inaccessible, start from this one. It brings Western readers closer to this seemingly incomprehensible art form. All that is required is the general sentiments and appreciation for Western abstract art. And as a bonus, the book is dotted with delightful personal anecdotes that seem to bring the revered calligraphers closer to the ground. This may well be the door to a treasure trove. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in Chinese art and culture, both imperial and modern.
|
